Police chief calls for phone companies to add 'kill switch' to every phone

Phones could soon feature a 'kill switch' enabled by the manufacturer that turns the devices into unusable 'bricks', as the UK's Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, calls on phone companies to implement the change in a move to fight theft.

There are a number of features already present in iPhones and Android devices to help people when their phone is stolen, including reset sequences that are initiated after a phone runs out of battery, and location tools that help you better find your device.

These seemingly still aren't enough to curb the rise in phone theft across the world – especially in certain cities like London which are particular impacted by the crime – and it's led to a somewhat controversial call to action.

As reported by the Guardian, Rowley has specifically asked UK Home Secretary Shaban Mahmood to force phone companies selling devices in the UK to introduce a kill switch that can be remotely activated after a phone is stolen.

What would a kill switch do?

This feature, if implemented correctly, would allow a phone's manufacturer to brick any device as long as the IMEI number is provided by the theft's victim, and it's something that Apple has already introduced to help combat crime.

Sir Mark Rowley has called for phone companies beyond Apple to implement a similar kill switch in a fight against crime (Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)

Once the phone is bricked the thief can no longer sell it, as there's no way for it to be restored to a usable state. Obviously this doesn't help the victim get their phone back, but the goal is to remove the motivation for theft in the first place.

"Whereas a few months ago the majority of stolen phones were being reactivated because of security flaws," Rowley explained in an interview with the Press Association, "now with the security improvements it's the minority being reactivated.

"That means it's harder for criminals to profit. That will bring down the crime further," he concluded.

What are the downsides of this plan?

While this appears to be a great idea in practice, it does represent a potential overstep that some have found concerning when it comes to the autonomy and freedom that people have over their own devices.

Some are frightened at the prospect of companies being able to disable your phone remotely, especially in conjunction with governments (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

This particular application is good, but there's no limitation on what the kill switch could be used for in theory, and which situations would be justified in triggering the move.

Many are fearful about the rise of authoritarianism around the world – especially with many of the biggest tech companies willing cooperating with far right governments – so giving police, governments, and tech companies the power to completely brick your phone at will sets a dangerous precedent.